Cheeers to a new day, my lovely! Today, on ze blog, I am sharing our perfect 3-day New Orleans getaway, which included iconic places to see and restaurants to eat at.
Our stay in New Orleans
Before giving you the rundown of our 3-day New Orleans getaway, I am sharing deets about the apartment we stayed at.
It was a two bedroom/two bath posh apartment with a nice wraparound balcony overseeing St. Charles Avenue and Gravier Street. It was conveniently located between the French Quarter and Lafayette Square, which was incredibly nice because we were able to walk to most places without a problem (aka I could wear heels, haha). I loved the luxury of being able to walk to most restaurants and places we explored. Not to mention, we had easy access to a nearby market, coffee shops, and a juice bar. 😉 Say no more and sign me up please. The VRBO listing can be found here.
Also, based on a nearby street sign on St. Charles Avenue, this street is a part of the New Orleans parade route, which is pretty cool if you visit around parade season.
Places near the apartment
- St. Charles Market – This was the small market located in the same building as the apartment we stayed at. It had the basic necessities such as water, wine, and snacks.
- The Big Squeezy – After day 1 in New Orleans, I was craving a healthy green smoothie so having this place close by was a REAL luxury. I highly recommend adding this place to your list for a healthy fix. Oh, and guess who owns it? The Saints star running back, Alvin Kamara. Pretty cool, huh?!?
- Daisy Dukes – This restaurant was located across the street from the apartment. Although we didn’t have the opportunity to check it out, I noticed it stayed busy throughout the mornings. They are known for their breakfast, cajun food, and bloody mary’s.
- Streetcar Cafe – This was another restaurant located across the apartment. Again, didn’t make time to check it out but it was always busy. Also, they claim to have better beignets than Cafe du Monde so take it for what it’s worth and try them! Great google reviews too!
- Fourth Wall Coffee – If you decide to book the apartment we stayed at, and love a yummy cup of latte, please do yourself a favor and walk to the Fourth Wall Coffee shop. You will not regret it. I ordered a regular latte with oat milk and truly wish I could have a second cup right about now. It was so freaking delicious.
Things to do in New Orleans
Royal Street – Assuming you book the apartment we stayed at, if you decide to visit Jackson Square, take the route that will take you through Royal Street. This street is one of the original streets of NOLA and you will encounter various antique shops, beautiful hotels, art galleries, and even a Cafe Beignet.
Jackson Square – This beautiful plaza is located in the heart of the French Quarter. It is a historic park and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960 for its central role in the city’s history. There is plenty to choose from – art, museums, street performers, walking tours, live music, iconic restaurants, antique shops, beignets, the beautiful St. Louis Cathedral, and so much more.
French Quarter – This neighborhood is one of New Orleans most historic neighborhoods. It is adorned with stunning colorful homes, cast-iron balconies, and beads. Lots of beads, haha. But seriously, you’ll find a lot of the restaurants, bars, pubs, and hotels that are a must-see, or must-eat, are located in the French Quarter.
Bourbon Street – Need I say much about Bourbon street, lol? Let’s be real, it’s basically 6th street on steroids. (For those unfamiliar with 6th street, it is a long stretch of bars and restaurants located in Austin, TX.) If you are in New Orleans to celebrate a bachelorette, bachelor, birthday, etc., definitely recommend at least one fun night on Bourbon. (Unless you are a grandma like myself, and over that party life, sneak over to Frenchmen Street for live music. 😉 )
Frenchmen Street – For a much calmer nightlife, head over Frenchmen Street, which isn’t too far from the French Quarter. It is best known for some of the city’s popular live music venues, including: Favela Chic, Apple Barrel, Cafe Negril, The Spotted Cat Music Club, and The Maison.
Magazine Street – I wish we had a Magazine St. in Houston, TX because man, oh man, did I fall in love with this area. Magazine Street is a 6-mile stretch of eclectic shops, restaurants, bars, and coffee shops. If you love spicy cocktails, please add The Vintage to your itinerary and order Tia’s Can Can, which is a seasonal cocktail so hopefully it’s available when you visit.
Harrah’s Casino – Looking for a fun night of poker?!? Head over to Harrah’s after having charbroiled oysters at Dragos 😉 This casino is quite large – 115,000 sq. ft. to be exact, I thought it resembled the casinos in Vegas.
Places to eat in New Orleans
Luke – If you book the apartment we stayed at, Luke’s is literally right down the street. It would take less than five minutes to walk there from the apartment. It was my first time trying shrimp and grits, and I must admit, it was pretty damn tasty. For dessert, order Brendan’s bread pudding because it was freaking delicious. And for the cocktail, try Dr.’s Orders, which consisted of gin, Peychaud’s Aperitivo, elderflower, and prosecco. This place has over 2.5K amazing reviews so I don’t think you’ll regret it 😉
Doris Metropolitan – If you are in New Orleans for a special occasion, I highly recommend dinner at Doris Metropolitan. I loved the scenery, low-key environment, delicious homemade bread, tasty dry-aged steak, and amazing customer service. We truly enjoyed our first dinner in NOLA at Doris’. Oh, and request a table on their patio!
Stanley – If you visit Jackson Square during the morning, head over to Stanley’s for breakfast. I ordered the Breaux Bridge Benedict and it was bomb! If there is a wait, get on their list, and explore the area until they text you. There’s enough to explore as you wait for a table.
Cafe Beignet – Speaking of Jackson Square, if you must, definitely stand in line at Cafe du Monde for a beignet. However, if you refuse to stand in a long line like we did, head over to Cafe Beignet on Decatur Street. It’s about a five minute walk from Jackson Square.
Cigar Factory – After your beignet fix, if you want to see how cigars are made, or you actually enjoy cigars, head over to the Cigar Factory. It was only a three minute walk from Cafe Beignet on Decatur Street. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes moment with artisans who dedicate themselves to hand-rolling cigars; it was a neat process to see!
Pat O’Brien’s – Did you know Pat O’Brien’s invented hurricane cocktails?!? No worries if you didn’t, neither did I. Anyway, this was a neat outdoor patio to hang out and enjoy cocktails. This place is incredibly popular with over 7.5K google reviews so be prepared to wait for a table by the fountain.
Hotel Monteleone/The Carousel Bar & Lounge – There are two cocktails I would consider the very best in all of New Orleans, and no, it wasn’t the hand grenade. #sorrynotsorry One of those cocktails was the French 007 at The Carousel Bar & Lounge, which is located inside Hotel Monteleone. It wasn’t too sweet, or too tart, it was just right with a twist of lemon and champagne. If that doesn’t convince you, I still recommend to visit The Carousel Bar for the experience.
Muriel’s Jackson Square – If you would like a sit-down dinner at one of New Orleans most historic places, book a reservation at Muriel’s Jackson Square. Personally, I thought their three course option was worth it. I had the Boudin Egg Roll, the Pesto Linguine, which was freaking delicious, and the White Chocolate Bread Pudding. I would hands down go back and try other things on their menu because everyone in our group had great things to say about their meals. (Also, if you’re into ghost stories, this place is a must because there’s word on the street a spirit lives inside Muriel’s. They even have a dedicated lounge, The Seance Lounge, to explore the metaphysical side.)
The Vintage – As I mentioned above, during your New Orleans getaway, you must visit The Vintage on Magazine Street. This was where I had the second best cocktail in New Orleans, my opinion, of course. If you decide to stop at The Vintage, and love tequila with a kick of spice, order Tia’s Can Can. Plain and simple. I guess you should also order a side of beignet bites too because they were freaking delicious. (I thought they tasted better than Cafe Beignet’s.)
Commander’s Palace Restaurant – Does your New Orleans getaway consist of getting dressed up and going to a jazzy brunch? If so, please make a reservation at Commander’s Palace, which is not too far from Magazine Street. I highly recommend the Pecan Crusted Gulf Fish and the Creole Bread Pudding Souffle. We enjoyed their outdoor patio, live jazz band, and beautiful weather! Their customer service was on point too!
Dragos Restaurant – Last, but certainly not least, visit Dragos for their famous charbroiled oysters. Did you know charbroiled oysters were invented in the early 1990s in New Orleans at Dragos?!? A guy named Tommy Cvitanovich was the creator of these delicious charbroiled oysters, which are now considered a signature New Orleans dish. Not going to lie, I was a little skeptical at first considering I don’t like raw oysters but glad they ended up being a hit!
Other Recommendations (Crowdsourced from my Instagram community)
Because there was so much to see, do, and eat in New Orleans, I wasn’t able to visit all of the recommendations that came through my Instagram. Having said that, thank YOU so much for the recs. I’ve added them to my IG highlights section under Nola Recs for future reference. Below is the complete list of recommendations:
- The Gumbo Shop (for gumbo)
- Hand grenades
- Pat O’Brien’s (for drinks)
- Dragos (for charbroiled oysters)
- Cafe du Monde (for beignets)
- Deanie’s Seafood Restaurant (for charbroiled oysters)
- Magazine Street (for food and shopping)
- Nomiya (for ramen)
- Cafe Beignet (for beignets)
- District Donuts Sliders Brew
- Mr. B’s Bistro
- Toast (for brunch)
- Apolline (for brunch)
- Lula (a distillery)
- Arnauds
- The French Market
Well, that sums up our perfect 3-day New Orleans getaway! You can say we definitely enjoyed lots of food and cocktails, haha. As always, if you have ANY questions, please don’t ever hesitate on reaching out. You can contact me by email at sonia@mrsprofresh.com. You can also send a message on IG or comment below on this blog post. I try to respond to all of my messages in a timely manner 😉
Ps. To see bits and pieces of the trip, head over to my Instagram highlights under Nola 1 and Nola 2.
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